SENATOR COLLINS RECOMMENDS IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM ACTION TO ADDRESS AND PREVENT FLU VACCINE SHORTAGE

Washington, DC - Senator Susan Collins today urged immediate action to address the current flu vaccine shortage and long-term strategies to prevent a future crisis. Senator Collins is a member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, which held a hearing today to examine the country's level of preparedness for next year's flu season, contingency plans to address another possible shortage in 2005, and issues that must be addressed in order to increase vaccine production in the United States. The Committee heard testimony from officials from the Centers for Disease Control, the Food and Drug Administration, and pharmaceutical manufacturers.

"Congress must take action to increase and strengthen the nation's supply of flu vaccine," said Senator Collins in a written statement to the Committee. "While long-term measures are needed to increase our nation's capacity to manufacture vaccine, I believe that action must also be taken without delay to maximize the value of the existing vaccine supply. This is particularly true given the fact that even the most aggressive efforts to increase supplies of new vaccine will have little effect on the current shortage due to the long period of time necessary to produce more vaccine."

Senator Collins pointed to recent actions taken by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, following a letter that she and Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) wrote to Secretary Tommy Thompson, urging that he do all that he can to optimize the utilization of the existing vaccine and to increase the available supply.

"We were particularly concerned that the Centers for Disease Control not adopt a ‘one size fits all policy' and urged that they consider each state's unique needs in allocating new shipments of vaccine," said Senator Collins. "I was therefore pleased by the Department's announcement on November 9th that they would be working with state health departments to ensure that the remaining vaccine reaches those people at highest risk for complications from influenza."

In addition, Senator Collins is cosponsor of the Emergency Flu Response Act, which would give the nation's health agencies the tools necessary to respond to the current flu vaccine shortage and to maximize the effectiveness of reduced vaccine stocks.

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